State of confusion
by bishie-otaku
Summary: It was neither love nor hate, but that relationship could not remain untouched. Blame the web of relationships that drew them closer--or was it farther apart? SasuSaku. Other pairings included.
1. i remember

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…just wish I did…

Summary: _Ah, high school-the most troublesome time of your life._ We were best friends. Yeah…_were_…surprisingly. I don't even know how it was possible to be friends with an ice cube…(AU high school fic)(mainly SasuSaku-NaruHina NejiTen ShikaIno)

**-Mass Confusion .-**

Uchiha Sasuke. I don't remember much of him…I was like five back then, what do you expect? I didn't even know about him, until the beginning of summer break, before sophomore year…

My mom had decided to do some house cleaning, so as her 'faithful' daughter, I was forced to help her. I came across an old dusty album. Come to think of it, we hadn't used it much-after everything went digital. I was just browsing through a couple of pages. It's funny how innocent and cute people look before they grow up. I flipped a page and saw a picture of my parents hanging out and drinking sake with a couple of friends. They seemed pretty happy, but their wardrobe was just…awful. And their hair?-ew... I skimmed a couple of pages, until I saw my parent's wedding. I only saw two of the group of friends from before. I skipped a couple of pages and saw another wedding. This time, it was the two friends' wedding. After that, I saw a baby picture of me. Man, was I fat-"Sakura!"

"Coming!" I skipped to the end, where I came across a group photo. My parent's and their friends, along with their kids, were gathered around a picnic table. As I was putting the book back, a photo fell from it. I picked it up. Hmm…no date. I flipped it over. It was a picture of a cute little boy. He had spiky black hair, and was busy sucking on his thumb. I saw myself in the background, on the opposite end of the see-saw. He seemed familiar, but I couldn't recall his name. The only other childhood friend that I remembered having was Ino, who still is my best friend. "That was so long ago…" I turned around to see my mom, who pointed to the picture in my hand. "Do you remember him?" I shook my head. "Are you sure? You know, my best friend's son? The Uchiha's? He's your age, you know? You two were inseparable."

"Really?...Well, where are they now?"

"Their family moved to America-business reasons. Remember yet?"

"Umm..no…"

"Are you sure you don't remember him? 'Sasuke' ring a bell? They came back to visit us and pick up some documents about four summers ago."

"hmm…oh wait…that was him? HOW COULD I FORGET!!"

**((A/N: **ok, I know this part was kinda confusing. So basically, Sasuke's family originally lived in Japan. But they moved to America, and came back to visit and get some important documents four years ago. Sakura doesn't remember being friends with Sasuke when they were like babies, but she remembers meeting Sasuke when he came to visit them. Get it?

"Ah, now you remember…" The doorbell rang. "Ah, it must be your Otou-san." I watched as mom hurried to get the door. I fingered the photo in my hand. Uchiha Sasuke. Now I remember. He was my first-and only- crush. We were best friends for that whole summer. I hadn't planned on doing anything that summer, since Ino went to England with her family. When Sasuke came, I was-well…excited. I remember that he was very competitive-he won every single game we played-and well, cute (I was eleven years old…) I just remember saying that he had the cutest smile. The last thing I remember about him was when they were at the airport. Just before he left, Sasuke gave me the toy skateboard that he used to beat me in every single race with. Of course, I squealed and hugged him-while he stood there with this 'I don't know this person' look on his face. Since we were best friends now, we kept in touch. We used to call each other occasionally, but the occasional phone call became rare, until one day, it just stopped. I stopped calling him; he stopped calling me. School was getting harder, and there were other things to worry about. Plus, my circle of friends had become larger. My long-distance friend faded from my mind. Then, I entered high school with my best friends-Ino, Tenten, and Hinata. We got through freshmen year, which was pretty difficult, but we survived. Then, we became sophomores. That's when things got a little crazy.

:3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3

**((A/N: **Ok, it's gonna get better, but I just needed to get the introduction part finished. **Please review.** I'm not sure if I should continue with this story or not. If I get enough reviews, then I'll post the next chapter.


	2. arrival

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…just wish I did…

Summary: _Ah, high school-the most troublesome time of your life._ We were best friends. Yeah…_were_…surprisingly. I don't even know how it was possible to be friends with a freakin' ice cube…(AU high school fic)(mainly SasuSaku-NaruHina NejiTen ShikaIno)

**-Mass Confusion .-**

_**Recap: **__Then, I entered high school with my best friends-Ino, Tenten, and Hinata. We got through freshmen year, which was pretty difficult, but we survived. Then, we became sophomores. That's when things got a little crazy. _

**Chapter 2-**Arrival

(Ok, so I lied. Sophomore year was a lot more than just 'a little crazy'. Let's start from the beginning then, shall we?)

Beep. Blip._ Good morning everyone! Today is September 8, the dreaded 'back to school' day. So, time to wake up sleepyheads! It is currently 30__degrees Celsius, with a clear sky, and a 20 chance of rain. Highway 84 is closed down, since it is currently under construction. Route 35 is also closed, due to-_Beep

_Argh. The stupid radio had no snooze button._ I glanced at the clock. _6:35 _I flipped over and flung my feet over the edge of the bed. _Sigh. _Now, why am I getting up so early again? Oh yeah, 'cause mom just had to make me sign up for monitoring. She said something about how I could put this 'community service' on my college resume-not that I really cared. I had enough service credit from last year. Plus, my grades were well above average, and I was content with that-even though I know my parents would never be satisfied. Anyways, what was there to 'monitor' at six in the morning?

Sighing, I walked into the bathroom and took a quick shower. I got out and put on a pair of jeans and a black tank top, with 'zzZZzz' written across it and a picture of a smiley with its face in a pillow above it-it matched my mood perfectly, eh? I tied my hair into a ponytail and hurried downstairs. A neon-yellow paper caught my eye. Look, _another_ post-it on the fridge. Now, this must be like, number 10000?-not that I actually bothered to keep count…In my mom's small neat font, she wrote:

_Good morning! Otou-san and I have to go to visit obaa-san, in Kyoto. She said that your ojiisan is setting up a new fence in the backyard (He has arthritis, remember?) So, we have to go and try to talk him out of it. Gomen, I couldn't drive you to school today. Breakfast is on the table! _

_-Okaasan :)_

I chucked the note into the garbage, and glanced at the table. Ah, toast, the typical breakfast choice when one doesn't have the time to cook. I quickly stuffed the toast in my mouth, and downed the glass of milk. I picked up my messenger bag and slung it over my shoulder (duh). I glanced at the clock. _6:55_ A new record!-no, not really, but at least I'll be on time. I walked outside and locked the door. Then, I began my long, deadly, trek to school. Ok, I'm exaggerating, but what kind of person would have the energy to walk a whole **two** blocks in the morning…OK, I admit, maybe I'm just not a morning person. _Sheesh_. Take Shikamaru for example. I remember this one time, when he decided to come to school during our _lunch_ period. Most people are surprised at how he hasn't dropped out yet. Well, no matter how hard the teachers try, they can't kick him out. Why not? Well, he aces every single test they throw at him. Some people thought that he cheated on all the tests, but since he finishes about an hour before everyone else, how could he have cheated? When teachers ask him for homework, he finishes it right in front of them, and hands it in. That's pretty much why we always refer to him as the 'lazy ass genius'. I envy his photographic memory and 'smart' genes…

I arrived at Narau-otaku High **((A/N: I'm not sure if that's correct, but it's supposed to mean: the learning addicts high school-something like that-hey, I'm just trying to be original…since there are wayy too many Konoha Highs…)) **atapproximately 7:00. I saw a few staff members and students putting up a 'WELCOME' sign above the school entrance. I waved to a few of my former classmates and continued on my way to Tsunade's office. I looked for the gold plaque with **PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE** written across it. I knocked gently before entering the room. Ah, the AC felt so nice. I stood right in front of the vent for a few seconds before Tsunade signaled me over. She was on the phone and jotting down notes. She jotted down something on a post-it, as she continued 'mhmm-ing' and nodding as the person on the other line spoke. When she finished writing, she slapped the post-it into my hand before sending me away. I quickly read the post-it. '**Shizune will explain.'** I crumpled the note, and threw it into the nearest garbage can. I headed towards the main office, where Shizune would most likely be.

"Ohayo, Shizune-san." She waved to me before turning back to the stack of paperwork before her, which was **huge**. She was also on the phone with someone. So, this is Shizune: the great multi-tasker. (Yeah, we have nick names for almost half the people in our school) "Ano, Tsunade-sama told me-" Shizune looked up and pointed to a bright red notice taped to the wall. I walked over to the table below the notice, and took a copy of the notice. It read:

To Whom It May Concern:

I am sorry that I hadn't informed you earlier, but a class of Sangikure High's sophomores will be joining your sophomores starting this semester. Apparently, the ventilation on the fifth floor of our building had broken down. A new system needs to be installed. Also, there is a mold problem which was probably the result of the rusted pipe, which can burst any second. In case of a chain reaction during the renovation, the fourth floor was also closed. After further investigation, we also discovered that the school's foundation was unstable. The entire school needs to be rebuilt. Thus, we are sending most of our students to a college, where we can share their facilities. However, they do not have enough room for all of us. Since Narau-otaku High has a larger facility than most high schools, there will be enough space for one of our sophomore classes. Once again, I am sorry for the late notice, but I was informed after I came back from my trip to Ecuador. I, myself, am also in the process of informing all the parents that their child is being transferred to a different school. Thank you for helping us in this dire situation.

The Principal of Sangikure High

Haiteri Shosen

I couldn't believe it. Sangikure High students were going to be in my class. Just my luck; their school consisted of a bunch of smart assess, since you had to be on the top ten percent to apply for the school. Basically, a group of arrogant jerks would be joining us. I heard that some someone even paid to get into the school. So, a bunch of rich, arrogant students would be joining us. Just great…Well, if they imported some of their students, they must have imported a few of their teachers. Sangikure High is known for having the best education because their teachers are handpicked. Too bad their facility just wasn't as good as their education…Well, the only good news was that we might be getting some of the best teachers in Japan!-which is a good thing…right?

"Haruno Sakura to the front entrance. Haruno Sakura to the…" Sighing, I headed towards the front entrance. There was a group of people gathered there. They didn't seem to be doing anything.

"Ah, Sakura-san, just the person I wanted to see."

"Eh? Kakashi-sensei? You're actually early for once." I sent him a glare. He smiled, his face still in that perverted book of his. Ew. I should be used to it by now, but seeing the book is still…disturbing…I shook my head to get the disturbing ideas out of my mind. I turned to the group. "Ano, what's the problem here?" One of the students pointed upwards at a banner. Only one of the corners was taped down, and it was beginning to peel off.

"You should have used duct tape."

Kakashi spoke up. "It would take a while to get the duct tape off. Remember last year?" Oh yes, I remembered it clearly. We had spent a whole week scrubbing, scratching, and ripping the tape off the wall.

"Masking tape?"

"We used it all on that banner…" I looked at the other banner he was referring to. I sweat-dropped. The tape had tangled in certain place. Someone had obviously tried to cover-up for it by taping over the tangle, resulting in an even bigger mess. Well, at least the banner was stuck on the wall…

"Ok, any kind of tape?"

"It's all locked up in the supply closet…and we don't have the key…"

"Hm…" I looked up at the banner for a few minutes-well, until it finally came off the wall and landed as a crumpled mass on the floor. I looked at the empty space where the banner had been.

"Well?"

"Ok, this might sound kind of extreme, but…"

"But?"

"We can use magnets."

"…magnets?..."

"Mhmm…you see that metal part on the top?"

"Uh-huh"

"Attach the magnets here, there, and at the other two corners. Tada" I turned to look at Kakashi. He was tapping his finger against his chin.

"Huh…wow…magnets…well, I guess it could work…"

"Trust me, it will." I grinned and climbed up the ladder. "Ok, give me the banner." I attached the magnets and stuck the banner onto the wall. When the center of the banner began sagging, I frowned. The magnets were slipping. I readjusted the banner and attached a few more magnets. I hopped off the ladder and stepped back to observe my work. "Perfect." I grinned.

"Good job!" Kakashi smiled and patted my head.

"Argh, you messed up my hair!" I complained as I fixed my hair. I was about to yell at him again, when I noticed that he was reading his perverted book again. I frowned and began walking to Tsunade's office. Tsunade would probably give me an assignment to keep me busy for the next hour, until school officially began. I poked my head through the doorway. Tsunade was still on the phone. She held up one finger, and signaled me to sit down. While I waited for her to finish her phone call, I browsed through a stack of paper. Apparently, the stack consisted of the profiles of all the incoming students from Sangikure High. Most of the students seemed pretty nerdy. I was flipping through the rest of the profiles, when something caught my eye. It was a photo of a girl. She had layers and layers of makeup, plus expensive clothing that seemed just a bit too revealing for school. I looked at her exam score, and it was blank. She was probably the only one that actually paid to get in. Sangikure High usually refuses to accept the money, but I guess they just needed the money. I glanced at Tsunade to see how much longer she might be speaking.

"I'll take care of it…No, no, it's ok…Thank you so much….ok, bye." Tsunade finally hung up, and gently rubbed her temples. "You read the notice?"

"Hai."

"What time is it?"

"7:40" Wow, time sure went by fast.

"I'll need you to show the new students around. Are you up for the job?" Why couldn't she get someone else on the job? Well, most of her monitors were probably busy showing the freshmen around. Plus, with my _seemingly_ abnormal pink hair, no one can get lost and lose track of me. I sighed.

"Hai."

"Great! Now, there will be 38 students from Sangikure High. I've already informed them that there will be someone waiting for them when they arrive. I'd like to go meet them as well, but as you can see, I'm buried under paperwork. Since I told them all to arrive at exactly 7:50, they should be here right about…now." I glanced out the window. A group of students were already there, chatting among themselves. "By the way, after the tour, you can head right to class. You don't need to report back to me. I'm counting on you, Sakura!"

"Hai." I hurried to the front entrance. I stood on the front steps and raised my hands to my mouth. "Ohayo, minna-san!" I shouted over the chatter. Everyone quieted and turned to look at me. That sure was a quick reaction. I grinned. Being a tour guide won't be so bad after all. "Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura, your tour guide for toda-"

"Is that your natural hair color?" a blonde boy blurted out. _Sigh_. I was getting tired of being asked the same exact question.

"Yes, it is."

"Really?" the boy continued.

"Yes, can we move on?..."

"Eheh, sorry." The boy gave me a sheepish grin.

""It's ok, I'm guessing that half the people here wanted to ask me that too." I grinned back at him. "Anyways, is everyone here?"

"Iie. Teme's not here." A term of endearment, I guess…I frowned. If we didn't start now, we would be late for class.

"Ok, we're gonna start the tour now. It's the 'teme's' fault that he decided to come late. Everyone follow me." I entered the main building. "So, we have two gyms. One is on the 2nd floor, and the other is on the 4th. The cafeteria and auditorium are both on the first floor. There are bathrooms on every floor. The main office is on the second floor, and the principal's office is on the opposite side of the main office. As for classrooms, the first letter is the building, the first number is the floor, and the last number is the classroom. That's basically all you need to know. Any questions so far?"

"How many buildings are there?"

"Two. The other building is in back. Let's continue." I led the group to the school's main facilities and past most of their classrooms. Then, we went back out to the front entrance. "Ok, tour's over. Now, go to your homeroom class. The bell's gonna ring in a few minutes."

"Quick question…" Someone from the back spoke up.

"Yeah, what's up?" I turned to face him. He had spiky brown hair and a silver earring on his right ear. He was leaning on the wall with his hands in his pockets.

"Is everyone in this school as hot as you?" I blushed. The guy smirked. Several others snickered. _Ringgg. _Whew, saved by the bell. The group dissipated. I was about to leave, when someone grabbed my arm. "Hey!" I spun around, only to crash into someone's chest. I blushed. It was the same guy from before.

"Am I that irresistible?" I was about to retaliate, when someone beat me to it.

"Tezuka! Leave her alone." It was the blonde boy from before.

"Aww, I'm sorry, but I don't think you'll be able to get this girl-or _any_ girl..." The guy smirked. Ok, not so cute anymore. _Ringg. _"Well, see ya later, beautiful." He said as he brushed my cheek with the back of his hand and walked away.

"That bastard…" the blonde next to me muttered. "His name's Kanoku Tezuka, aka Sangikure High's most well-known playboy…"

"Er, thanks for the warning…what's your name again?"

"Oh, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, at your service!" He grinned as he gave me a thumbs-up.

"-and I'm Sakura. I think we should go now, since we're already la- "

"OH CRAP WE'RE LATE!!" I sweat-dropped. _Now he notices?_ I watched Naruto run off. I began counting- _5…4_…_3…2…1_...-and he came running back. "Eheh, do you know where A22 is?" He shoved a sheet of paper in my face.

"Oh, you're in my homeroom? Just follow me. By the way, don't worry about being late. It's ok, since I'm one of Tsunade's monitors. Plus, you're a new student, so being a little late is understandable."

"Arigatou, Sakura-chan!" I grinned and led him to our homeroom.

When we arrived, the class was still noisy. The teacher wasn't there yet. I saw Hinata and took an empty seat next to her. We chatted about how we spent the summer, and about the Sangikure students. The classroom door opened and Asuma-sensei walked in. Everyone quieted down. He cleared his throat and began, in his monotone voice,"Welcome back students! I'm sure everyone enjoyed their summer vacation. Now, as most of you know, Sangikure's sophomore students are joining us this year…"I already knew about the new students, so I decided to talk to Hinata. _Poke. _She didn't turn around. _POKE…s_till no response. Was she actually listening to the announcement? She was staring at something-no, some_one_. I followed her gaze, which landed on a certain blonde loudmouth. I smirked. I leaned over and whispered, "His name's Naruto, by the way." Hinata blushed, embarrassed. I chuckled and propped my elbows on my desk. I glanced out the window and saw someone by the front entrance-on a motorcycle. He parked the motorcycle and walked towards the main entrance. He had spiky black hair and a messenger bag slung across his back. He looked up at me-well, in my general direction. I blushed and quickly turned around. Hopefully, he hadn't seen me staring at him this whole time. Come to think of it, he was probably the 'teme' Naruto was referring to before-but I don't think people my age are allowed to drive. Oh well, I'd probably find out who he is eventually…

**((A/N: I am sooooo sorry! Yes, this is another boring chapter T.T I promise, promise the next chap will be interesting-since Sasuke and the rest of them will show up. These first two chapters are meant to explain and give the logic for Sasuke suddenly appearing (I've noticed that in a lot of stories, authors kinda skip the logic part, so their story jumps right into the action-but then the story lacks the logic to make it possible…ok I just confused myself..) So, sorry for this long author's note and for making another boring chapter. Trust me, the story makes soo much more sense with this chapter, than without it. So, REVIEW PLEASE!! I'll update faster, if you do :D ))**


	3. invited

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…just wish I did…TT

Summary: _Ah, high school-the most troublesome time of your life._ We were best friends. Yeah…_were_…surprisingly. I don't even know how it was possible to be friends with a freakin' ice cube…(AU high school fic)(mainly SasuSaku-NaruHina NejiTen ShikaIno)

**((A/N: Sorry for making you guys wait so long, but here's chapter 3!! IMPORTANT: I reedited chapter 1. So, the Uchiha's visited them 4 years ago, not two-it just makes more sense that way…it doesn't change the storyline so you don't really need to reread that chapter. Without further delay…))**

**-Mass Confusion .-**

_**Recap:**_ _I glanced out the window and saw someone by the front entrance-on a motorcycle. He parked the motorcycle and walked towards the main entrance. He had spiky black hair and a messenger bag slung across his back. Come to think of it, he was probably the 'teme' Naruto was referring to before…_

**Chapter 3**- Invited?!

Ah, lunchtime-my favorite part of the day. Exactly forty-five minutes of freedom…or so I thought. _Haruno Sakura, to the main office. Haruno Sakura-_ Argh. Being one of Tsunade's monitors meant giving up almost all of your free time.

I picked up my bag and got up from the table. "Sorry guys, I gotta go!!"

"Aww…come on, Sakura. Tsunade has like hundreds of monitors. Why can't she tell them to do the, uh-" Ino looked at TenTen, who just shrugged. "-whatever it is that you do…Besides, you're gonna miss out on our Truth or Dare game again…"

"Eheh, it's ok…ask Hinata to sub for me!"

"S-Sakura-chan!" I smiled and gave Hinata a thumbs-up before leaving. "Goodluck" I mouthed. She sure needed it…The last time I played Truth or Dare with TenTen…oh, I'd rather not mention it…

I entered the room. Tsunade smiled. "Ah, Sakura! Meet Uchiha Sasuke. He'll be in your class for the rest of the year." Wait…Uchiha Sasuke…why does that name seem so familiar? I looked at the mentioned boy. He was the same guy I saw on the motorcycle before…except, well, I'd hate to admit, but cuter up close. He was slouched in the chair with an annoyed-almost angry, expression on his face.

"So, um, what did you need me for again?"

"Haruno Sakura, I need you to be Sasuke's tour guide for today…since he came in late-which will not happen again, right Sasuke?"

"Hn" Tsunade's eyebrow twitched. I was surprised. Coming in late on your first day **and **showing no respect for your principal? Fearless? or ignorant?-take your pick.

"So, um, follow me." I bowed slightly to Tsunade as I left the room. As soon as I shut the door, I whispered harshly at Sasuke. "Are you crazy?! That was Tsunade-sama, aka the **principal**."

"Hn" He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked away.

"Are you trying to get expelled or something?"

"Hn"

"Are you even listening to me?! You could've been expelled. You're just lucky that you come from Sangikure High-" _Bang. _I shrunk back, surprised. Sasuke had punched the locker right next to my head. I noticed that he had even dented it. He looked at me with an intense glare. I tried to read him, but it was almost as if he had an ice wall built up to shield his feelings. For a split second, I felt…afraid.

"You're annoying." With that, he turned around and began walking away. I let go a breath that I didn't know I was holding. _'That jerk…scaring me like that...It must be the whole macho guy thing…and of all things, he called me annoying—and I was just trying to help him. Sheesh.' _I was about to scream after him, but I didn't. I figured that it was his life, and if he didn't care, too bad. I turned around and began walking in the opposite direction. Halfway down the hall, I remembered that I was supposed to be his 'guide'—meaning, Sasuke was my responsibility.

"Argh! Sasuke get back here!" I turned around and began running back. I searched the hallways, but I couldn't find him. I ran to the gym, the auditorium, and even the other building. '_Great job, Sakura. You lost him…'_

'**Hey! YOU lost him!'**

'_I was talking to myself in third person….'_

'**Oh…sorry?'**

'_Argh, forget you…I can't believe that jerk just disappeared on me'_

'**Good luck, then…'**

'_Useless inner-self…'_

'**Hey-'**

I ignored my inner-self and continued my search for the now labeled number one jerk, Uchiha Sasuke. _Ringg. Ringg. 'Huh?'_ I looked at my watch. _'Oh crap, I'm gonna be late for class!'_ I pulled out my schedule. My next class was located on the third floor of the main building, not this one. I ran down the steps and across the lawn, into the next building. Then, I began my climb up the stairs. I skipped two steps at a time, managing to get up two flights of stairs in record time. I was tried to skip three, but slipped and fell instead—earning a bruise on my right knee. Now, all I had to do was limp up the remaining flights of stairs. I clutched my knee and muttered a string of obscenities as I went. _Ringg. Ringg. _Ok, now I was really late. As I approached the classroom, I heard the teacher speaking "-lateness will not be tolerated in this class…" _'Just my luck—a strict teacher.'_ I walked in with my head slightly bowed. "Gomen, Shouta-sensei…wait…Kakashi?!" I sweat-dropped. What was with the whole speech about being late, then?

"Ah, Sakura-san!"

"You teach chemistry now?"

"Well, I'm technically subbing. But, Shouta-san had to leave due to a family emergency. We don't really know when he'll be back. Anyways, have a seat over…wait let me check…s…sas…sak…Oh, right next to Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke, raise your hand please." I couldn't believe it. How did he get here by himself? I spent almost my entire lunch period looking for him. And, of all people, I had to be seated next to _him_. I attempted to glare at Sasuke, but he had his eyes closed with one hand to support his head. His other hand was slightly raised in the air. I sat down and took out my binder—all without looking even once in Sasuke's direction.

I took out my pen and looked up, ready to take notes. To my surprise, I found more than half the class either staring or glaring at me, well, in my general direction at least (I found a few directed at Sasuke—that jerk.) "What?" I mouthed. I shrugged it off as Kakashi began to write the lesson structure on the board.

As I scanned the room for Ino (who I had almost all my classes with), I received an unexpected tap on the shoulder from a classmate. He pointed to his left. I looked to his left and cocked an eyebrow. He gave an inaudible sigh and pointed left again. I looked past the row of people, until my eyes landed on a smiling Ino. I sweat-dropped. It must've taken a lot of shoulder-tapping to get to me. I waved at her. She mouthed something, but I couldn't quite make it out. I saw her scramble for a pen. She wrote something and balled up the-what I made out to be-a post-it and threw it towards me. Yeah, _towards_. The wad of paper landed on Sasuke's head. I glared at Ino, who gave me an apologetic smile. I scooted to the edge of my chair and reached for the post-it. '_Almost there…'_ I had to be careful not to wake up Sasuke, too. "Sakura, what're you doing?"

"Whoa!" _Crash_. I found myself on the floor, for the second time that day. Whether it was because of Sasuke's sudden reply or my loss of balance from being too close to the edge, or both, it didn't matter. I got the same result. The entire class looked in my direction. I clutched my other knee, which now was bruised as well. I was red-faced, from the embarrassment and the anger. Kakashi finally noticed and turned around.

"Sakura, what're you doing on the floor?-and Sasuke, why do you have a piece of paper on your head? Passing notes is not tolerated in this classroom. It better not happen again." '_Oh no, we're gonna be found out!'_

"Hn" Sasuke used his left hand to take the piece of paper off his head and throw it into the trashcan, earning squeals and whispers. Oh, I forgot to mention that he did this all with his eyes closed. Show-off. No wonder he was willing to take the blame for passing notes in class.

"Sakura?"

"Oh, um, I was trying to see the board…and well, um, I fell off my chair…I'm ok."

"Or, were you trying to get a closer look at Sasuke…" I blushed. Kakashi had a mischievous look on his face.

"N-No! Why would I-" Kakashi chuckled and turned back to the board.

How could he think that? I hated that arrogant jerk. Well, I admit he does look a little better than most guys in school, but still. I smacked myself on the forehead. This really wasn't the way I planned my school year to begin.

o

I didn't get a chance to talk to Ino and everyone until school ended. It took me a while to get to them though. The first thing I saw when I got out of school was a crowd gathered at the school's entrance. Well, to be more specific, around Sasuke's motorcycle. There were "ooh's" and "ahh's" I saw Sasuke walking toward the crowd, making even more noise. I did my best to ignore them, and began making my way past the crowd. As I neared the group, I saw that there had been a few additions.

"Ah, Sakura-chan! How was your day?" I glared at Ino, who gave me her puppy face. I shook my head and sighed. "Oh, by the way, Naruto said he knew you, so he brought a couple of friends to meet us here."

"Ah, Sakura-chan! These are some of my best buddies. Teme's still not here yet though…"

"You can introduce him later, Naruto." Ino cleared her throat and continued. "So, that's Shikamaru from me and Hinata's math class-"

"I'm in that class too!" Naruto chimed in.

"Ah, I see you've met Hinata, then," I said as I winked at Hinata who blushed and looked down.

"Mhm!" Naruto replied. I sweat-dropped as I heard a couple of smacks on the forehead…other than mine. Was he really that dense?

"Troublesome." I looked over at Shikamaru. He wore a pair of jeans with a white shirt underneath an unbuttoned, collared dark green shirt. He lay on a bench with his hands laced behind his head.

"Long time no see, Shikamaru. How do you know Naruto and the guys?"

"Childhood friends…" I raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, you know him, Sakura?" Naruto and Ino said simultaneously.

"He was in my math class last year."

"Oh…" Ino cleared her throat again. "Anyway, so this is Neji. He's in TenTen's elective-kendo." I looked over to Neji, who greeted me with a nod…and silence.

'…**kinda like Sasuke, ne?**'

'_shutup, I don't want to even think about him now…'_

"Oy, guys. Look who finally decided to show up." I turned around and saw Sasuke ♥.on his motorcycle ♥♥. ('**Hey, stop crossing out my hearts!!')(**_'-glare-'_)((uh…back to the story…)) _'Just my luck…_' I glared at him, but he looked right past me, at Naruto.

"Meet you guys back at the mansion. Make sure they don't follow me." He gestured at a mob of, I presume, fangirls.

"Do we have to?" Naruto whined. Sasuke 'Hn-ed' and sped off to the right. "Ok, guys, you know what to do." As the crowd approached, all of the guys pointed to their left—except for Naruto, who pointed to the right by accident and switched upon noticing his mistake. _More forehead-smacking. _"He went that way…" they all said as the apparent leader of the mob, a girl wearing all-too revealing clothes, reached the intersection. "Follow me!" she yelled, well _commanded_, in her extremely high-pitched voice.

"Well, at least she's stupider than Saika…" Shikamaru commented as the rest of the guys nodded in agreement. Ino's eyes went wide. TenTen gave me and Hinata a slight nod. We covered our ears. 3-2-1-boom.

"Who'sSaika?Youliveinamansion?YouknowSasuke?You'refriendswithSasuke?He-" The guys were literally blown away. The rest of us sweat-dropped.

'_Wait a minute…_' It finally sank in. "You guys are friends of Sasuke's?! That arrogant jerk?!" All the guys looked at me. "What?"

Naruto spoke up. "Well that's a first…"

"First?" I gave Naruto a puzzled look.

"It's just that most girls are all over Sasuke-and I figured that you guys are cool because you're not all over him…but I never expected any one of you to be anti-Sasuke."

"It's just that he's a big show-off and everything."

"Show-off?" Naruto chuckled, "wait 'til Itachi hears about this."

"Itachi?"

"Oh, he's Sasuke's older brother. You should meet him sometime."

"WHAT ABOUT MY QUESTIONS?!" Unfortunately for Shikamaru, he was sitting the closest to Ino—and became deaf in one ear...

"Would you keep it down? Troublesome woman…"

"Troublesome wo-? HEY!!"

"Earplugs, anyone?"

Before Ino could make everyone else deaf, luckily, Neji interrupted her. "Let's go. Knowing Sasuke, he got back a while ago…"

"Ok, see you guys tomorrow!" Naruto grinned as he waved to us enthusiastically, Neji slightly bowed his head, and Shikamaru walked away with a "Troublesome…" I just shook my head and laughed. They were quite an odd group—a loudmouth, a procrastinating genius, and a stoic one. Oops, I left one out—the arrogant jerk.

"SAKURA" Ino burst my thought bubble.

"What…"

"Wanna go to that new shopping center? I really want this miniskirt I saw online yesterday. It's-" _vibrate._ Everyone checked their cell phone.

"Oops, sorry, that's mine." I flipped open my phone. "Hello?...oh, hi mom…yeah…why...ok…bye."

"Can you still come?"

"Sorry guys, but my mom wants me to come home early today."

"Why?" Ino frowned.

"Dunno. She said that she'll tell me when I get home. I'll call you later though. Bye guys." I waved good bye and began my walk home. Uchiha Sasuke. I couldn't keep him out of my mind. The name seemed so familiar…

When I arrived home, I saw my mom waiting at the door. She seemed unusually excited. "Sakura! How was your day?" I looked at her suspiciously.

"It was…ok, I guess…"

"Did you see anyone special?"

"Special? Um, no?" My mom frowned. This just kept getting weirder and weirder.

"Are you sure you didn't see him?"

"Him?" I really had no idea who she was talking about.

"Uchiha Sasuke." That's when my world came to an end….well, it was the beginning of the end… "Remember? A few months ago, you found that picture of him in the-"

"Oh my-how did I forget-I can't believe you-that jerk-WHEN?!"

"Calm down, honey. I was as shocked and excited as you are right now, when they called."

"They called?"

"I invited them to dinner, by the way. Seven 'o clock sharp. It's a welcome back party." I did my best to overcome the temptation to start banging my head on the wall. While I was having this mental struggle, my mom continued speaking. "The Uchiha's just got back yesterday. Their company finally moved back to Japan after being very successful overseas. They wanted to invite us over at first, but I told them that they would be rather busy and tired moving back into their house. Anyways, I'm going to cook a wonderful dinner for them tonight, so run to the grocery and get these for me ok?" She handed me a list and shooed me away.

For the rest of the afternoon, I helped my mom to cook and do some house cleaning. It was 6:45 by the time I finished. I headed upstairs and called Ino. "You won't believe who's coming over tonight…" I explained to her all about the Uchiha's and my childhood with them.

"Wait….so you guys were best friends?"

"Yeah…"

"Lucky!"

"What?"

"Uchiha Sasuke, the hottest guy in school…imagine, how many girls would kill to be you right now…"

"None"

"Sakura! I'm trying to be optimistic here." I sighed. Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Sakura, can you get that?" my mom called from downstairs.

"Gotta go, Ino."

"Good luck."

I took my time going downstairs. When I reached the doorknob, I hesitated. I really didn't want to see that jerk again. _Ringg. 'Impatient jerk' _I swung the door open wide. I saw a tall, suited figure. My angry expression changed to a surprised one. I immediately bowed my head.

"Konbanwa, Uchiha-san."

**((A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. My mom's been kicking me off the computer…anyways, I'd like to thank my awesome reviewers: ****Cookies321, it'sher, Irises Cruel Bloody Rain, eleanaleone, and**** lizuchiha. Thank you soo much guys))**

R&R :D


	4. confused already

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…just wish I did…TT

Summary: Confused? Yeah, me too. Well, that's how high school life is...confusing. Throw in an arrogant jerk with looks that can make almost every girl fall for him. Now, that's my life. [AU fic[mainly SasuSaku.NaruHina NejiTen ShikaIno [AU fic[mainly SasuSaku.NaruHina NejiTen ShikaIno

**-Mass Confusion .-**

_**Recap:**__ I took my time going downstairs. When I reached the doorknob, I hesitated. I really didn't want to see that jerk again. Ringg. 'Impatient jerk' I swung the door open wide. I saw a tall, suited figure. My angry expression changed to a surprised one. I immediately bowed my head. _

"_Konbanwa, Uchiha-san." _

**Chapter 4**- Confused already

"Konbanwa, Sakura-chan…and it's just 'Itachi-san' to you…" The man chuckled as he poked my forehead. '_Wait..what?'_

"Ah, Itachi-kun, long time no see," my mom called from the kitchen. '_Wait a minute…Itachi…as in Sasuke's older brother?! _ I took a moment to observe him. He wore a black suit, with a loose tie, and an unbuttoned jacket. He looked like an older version of Sasuke, but not old enough to be his father. He had a long pony-tail instead of spikes, and was a lot taller.

"Konbanwa, Haruno-san. Long time no see." Itachi chuckled as my mother frowned at his formalities. _Ring. Ring. _My mother picked up the phone and excused herself.

"Ah, Sakura-chan. You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you." He stepped back and smiled. "A lot more developed, I should say." I blushed. There was an awkward silence. "You don't remember me, do you..." I shook my head and smiled sheepishly. Well, I didn't exactly have the best memory in the world. Plus, I was really little back then.

"So, um, you just got back right? Aren't you jetlagged?"

"Haha…I don't have the time to be. Since my dad's company moved back, I've been pretty busy with the whole relocation plans."

"You work for your dad?"

"Temporarily, yeah. My dad wanted me to work with him and become his successor, but I turned him down...after a long battle…" Itachi sighed and stared at the palm of his hand as he curled his fingers. "We're not exactly on good terms as of now…" His eyes had a distant look in them. We sat in silence as I tried to find something comforting to say. Itachi suddenly stood up with a smile on his face. "Did Sasuke tell you? I'm planning to start a new company called Akatsuki. Me and a couple of other guys from high school that is...Anyways, I agreed that I'd stay in my father's company for a few more years to 'learn' so to speak. But I don't really mind, since he said that he'll give us money to start off our new company."

"Wow, your own company? But…who's going to be the successor now?"

"Well…I suppose Sasuke hates me now because of that. My father just doesn't understand that we all have our own plans for the future…" D_ing-dong. _

"Saku-!"

"I got it!" I swung the door open. "Konbanwa-" before I could finish, to my surprise, I found myself enveloped in a hug.

"Sakura-chan!! How are you? I haven't seen you in years! You've grown up!" The woman, Sasuke's mother I presume, gave me a gentle smile. She saw my mother, who was coming out from the kitchen, and greeted her with hugs and kisses. Meanwhile, Sasuke and his father had walked in with an armload of wrapped boxes. I heard my mother gasp and begin to debate with Sasuke's mom whether or not to accept the gifts. I sweatdropped. My mom finally noticed the rest of us and announced that it was time to eat. The seven of us (my dad arrived a little later) sat around our living room table eating and chatting away happily. Itachi received a phone call and announced that he had to leave. I frowned. If he left, then that meant the only person that I could talk to would be Sasuke…like I would ever _voluntarily_ do that…As the adults talked amongst themselves, catching up with each other what happened all those years, I, being a good co-host (well my mom nudged/stomped-on-my-foot-with-a-smile me to), showed Sasuke around—even though deep down, I was quietly seething. Sasuke had this nonchalant expression as he quietly followed me around the house. Yes, quietly. I had given up on all small talk long ago. The little tour had ended at my room, and the silence was starting to kill me. My anger had died down, and now, I was just bored.

"So, you want to watch a movie?"

"Hn." I rolled my eyes. I had gotten the same answer at least fifty times now. Sasuke was inspecting some photo in my room. I gave sighed and plopped down into my swivel chair. This was going to be a long night. I knew my parents could talk for hours on end over a small cup of tea. Now imagine a whole dinner…I turned on my computer and began working on my fanfic. Reading and writing fanfiction was one of my favorite pastimes recently. I typed rapidly as I began getting ideas for my story. Suddenly, I felt a hot breath down my neck. I turned my head to see Sasuke's face, inches from my own. I screamed. Well, you can guess what happened next…

…actually, no, not really….

As I screamed, I punched him… I had learned karate as a kid, so it was a natural reflex to "disable your opponent." So, an uppercut sufficed. Thus, when my parents and his parents rushed into the room, they found me with my mouth wide open, and Sasuke unconscious on the floor.

"Umm…oops?"

On the bright side……it felt _good_.

o

_Beep. Blip. Rise and shine- Smack. _Stupid radio…again. I groaned as I woke up, expecting back pains. Hmm? Since when was the ground soft? I had slept on the floor didn't I? Recapping: Since I knocked out Sasuke, I had to deal with the consequences. 'What consequences?' you might ask. Long story short, I had to give up my bed and ended up having to sleep in the same room as Sasuke. Lucky me…I would've slept on the couch downstairs, but no way was I going to let Sasuke have my room all to himself. So why wasn't I on the floor again? And where was Sasuke anyways? I forced my eyes open. I was on my bed. And Sasuke? He was no where in sight. Did he move me then? That was the only logical explanation I could think of. I blushed as I thought of the Uchiha carrying me in his arms—wait _no_ I did not blush! …a-and I'm not in denial!!! hey! HEY! Yeah, YOU! Get rid of that mental image…ugh...I seriously doubt that ever or would ever happen...with Sasuke and his prince complex? No way.

"HOH-HAH!!" I yelled, and jumped/tumbled off my bed and landed with a ready-to-kick-yo'-ass stance. Hey, it's a great way to start the day…gets your blood pumping…although you feel even more energy-deprived seconds later…As I resumed my normal standing position, I saw a note on my desk. Scrawled on a post-it was "_Thanks." _ Well it was a start….He didn't even bother signing the note—not that he needed to anyways, I figured. I did my morning rituals and headed downstairs where my mom greeted me with breakfast. Next stop: school.

o

"Good morning, class. I see we're all as energetic and motivated as usual." Gai-sensei boomed with his trademark grin and thumbs-up.

"H-hai….." Having P.E. first period isn't something people would be motivated about. Well, with the exception of Lee, who was oddly like Gai's mini-me. Additionally, Gai is Lee's personal coach—or so I've heard. And so of course, there was an "OSU!!" that disrupted the classes' energy-deprived state. After a few stretches, Gai-sensei had us run a mile. So, we ran/jogged/walked-while-playing-cards (cough) the whole mile (cough). Then, Gai-sensei split us up into teams for volleyball. Bored as ever, I began lacing my…uh….shoelaces into different patterns. "Haruno Sakura."

"Huh? What?.." I looked up from my shoe, thoroughly embarrassed to see the whole class staring back at me.

"Join your teammates please." I hurried over to the group of people he had pointed to, still trying to conceal my embarrassment. To my dismay, a familiar looking smirk came into view. Guess who. Yup, none other than the arrogant UCHIHA! And, I just happened to be stuck with him on the same team for volleyball, too. Why am I so unlucky? On the bright side, he had a particularly nasty bruise on his neck. I thought back to the note. Perhaps sarcasm was implied?...

After Gai went over the basic rules and moves in volleyball, he let us choose any basic drill to do for the rest of the class. So, we began with the forward pass. It should have been easy and simple, but with the Uchiha on our team? No. Frickin. Way. The two girls on my team kept gawking at Sasuke and praising him, and seemed incapable of doing anything else. On the other hand, the guys became extremely competitive and started to spike the ball. So, Sasuke was constantly diving for the spikes, given the small distance, while I covered for the two girls. So, we surprisingly never dropped the ball. Eventually the boys gave up, leaving me and Sasuke volleying back and forth. I noticed that the other groups had stopped and were watching us. Who knew he would be so good at volleyball? Thankfully, the bell rang and we all headed toward the locker rooms to change. As I was walking, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around. "You're pretty good." It was Sasuke. I had half-expected it to be Lee, but he was busy talking to Gai-sensei about something.

"Ah…thanks," I mumbled, unsure what his intentions were. As one of TenTen's friends, it was almost unavoidable that I would be somewhat atheletic. "Oh, um, uh, I'm sorry about...that…" I pointed to the bruise. He rubbed it and nodded slightly.

"Don't tell anyone about this…" He gave me a stern look before entering the boy's locker rooms. I cocked an eyebrow. A compliment followed by a threat. If you asked me what my opinion of Sasuke was, I wouldn't be able to tell you. It's just too confusing.

o

As I was eating away, a certain cheerful blonde's _loud_ voice made its way to my eardrums before she even came into my peripheral view.

"From the top, please!" she sang. Yes, typical Ino—wanting every detail, down to the slightest hand gesture. Knowing her all too well, I knew I couldn't hold anything back. She had that ability to pester you and squeeze out every tiny detail. She would probably qualify for becoming a professional interrogator someday…So, I gave her a recount of what had happened—not that I really minded. It's ironic. Ino loves to gossip, yet I can still trust her with my secrets—most of them anyhow…

When I finally finished, Ino was gaping at me. "You—knocked him out?" I nodded. Then she began laughing uncontrollably. I stared at her with a confused expression. "I heard that he got into some epic fight and won against the odds." I started laughing. Uchiha sure had some reputation. It's no surprise that he wouldn't want the whole 'knocked out by a girl' story to get out. As Ino and I laughed away, we failed to notice a certain loudmouth who just happened to arrive—until we heard him of course…

"UCHIHA GOT KNOCKED OUT BY A GIRL?!" Heads turned. Silence ensued. Naruto found himself fidgeting under the glare of a certain Uchiha. He pointed to us. Ino pointed to me. Everyone looked at me. I froze up. _Ringgg. _Saved by the bell… somewhat. The tension cracked a bit. People left silently and hurried to class, while some lingered behind, hoping to see how this drama would unfold…

Well, they didn't get to see much.

The Uchiha gave me this long look and walked away with his bag slung over his shoulder. I didn't know how to react. Sasuke didn't seem to be angry at me. Betrayed, maybe? He hadn't shown any emotion, really—just that one look. It was different from all the other times. My thoughts were interrupted by Ino hitting Naruto over the head. Their argument was cut short by the late bell. '_Crap...' _I waved goodbye to Ino, who asked if I was ok. I nodded and ran to my next class.

o

"Sakura!"

"Huh?" I looked up from the script I was staring at, but apparently not following.

"This is the second time you've missed your turn."

"Gomen…it won't happen again."

"Act II line 15."

I flipped a page, stood up, and cleared my throat. "Who am I to have possession of your keepsakes? For I have never seen or heard of anything that bears any resemblance to what you have described. Additionally, why do you even have possession of such an object?" I sat back down. We were taking turns reading lines from some famous play by some famous writer. Typical. I sighed as my thoughts wandered…again. And _no_, none of it concerned the Uchiha. I had given up on the approach 'to understand' him. I had concluded "Uchiha—confusing." I left it at that. I wasn't the type of person to let something bother me so much. Sighing, I glanced around the room. Everyone seemed to be as bored as I was. It's amazing how teachers fail to notice that it's their droning voice that puts students to sleep—though it is also due to the lack of motivation…Thankfully, this was my last class for the day. Then off to watch Ino's volleyball tryouts, go for swimming tryouts, dinner with mom, finishing up my homework, and finally, sleep. Ah, sleep…

"Ano…Sakura-chan?"

"Mmph?"

"The bell rang…"

"Wah?..." I sat up and looked around. Everyone was gone, with the exception of Hinata and me. I thanked Hinata as she left to go to her next class. About to gather up my things, I noticed that my left arm was numb—probably from supporting my head while I slept. Groaning, I shook my left arm to get rid of the numbness, while I packed my things with my other hand—at an extremely slow pace. I've never realized the difficulty of keeping a bag open while stuffing a binder in at the same time (using only one hand that is)…

"Pathetic…"

"Excuse me?" I looked up and saw Sasuke, towering over me. He wrenched the binder out of my hand and unceremoniously stuffed it into my bag with a thump and held it out to me.

"Er, thanks…?"

"Hn." As I walked out of the classroom, I looked back and saw Sasuke sitting in my seat with his binder open on the desk.

So, was he being nice or did he just want me to get out of his seat? The world may never know…

o

"Yare, yare…" I got up to stretch and plopped back down onto my chair. I checked my watch. It'd only been an hour since I started my homework and I was tired already. Sitting through/participating in two tryouts back to back really took a lot out of me. _Ringg. Ringg. _I heard my mom pick up the phone—probably the one in the living room, considering that the TV was on.

"Moshi moshi. Ah, Uchiha-san!..." I figured she would be talking for quite a while, so I turned up the volume on my headphones and resumed doing my homework. A few seconds later, my room door opened. I looked up and saw my mom holding the phone out to me.

"Sakura, it's for you"

**((A/N:** Ahh, another dialogue cliffy. I really need to come up with something else. So sorry about taking so long to update—and the fact that this is a pretty short chappie (only a little over 7 pages long). I'll try to update as soon as possible Thanks for the reviews :3


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